Gourmet Retailer Magazine Personnel Trainer 2008 - (Page 38) SPECIALTY BUTTERS or centuries, butter has been the preferred fat throughout Europe and America, loved both for the flavor it brings to food as well as how well it performs in the kitchen. One problem with butter has always been that it has a relatively low smoking point. Clarifying butter has always been a solution but it is difficult to do and can result in burned butter. Artisanally made clarified butter, however, performs beautifully because it has most of the moisture and milk solids removed. F l What is clarified butter? Clarification is essentially the process of removing suspended particles from a liquid or, in this case, melted butter. Clarified butter then is unsalted butter from which most of the milk solids and excess liquid has been removed, leaving behind only pure butterfat. The result is a shelf-stable, highly concentrated butter that has a much higher smoke point (over 325° F) than regular butter. The process to clarify butter can be accomplished by heating a stick of butter and removing the moisture (typically through evaporation) and milk solids (either by skimming them off the top or straining). However, the process is labor-intensive and can easily result in burned butter, especially if one is not completely vigilant. How Is Clarified Butter Best Used? To experience the impact clarified butter has on cooking, try it by replacing common cooking oils (olive oil, corn or canola oil) with clarified butter for sautéing meats and vegetables. Use in soups and sauces (béarnaise, hollandaise) and experience a rich full flavor. Try it over popcorn or for dipping your favorite seafood. l What is the advantage of buying clarified butter over making it yourself? As stated above, the process is labor-intensive and it’s easy to burn it if you’re not careful. Also, it is very difficult to remove as much of the moisture and milk solids as when it is professionally done. Odell’s, for example, uses a process that removes 99.95 percent of all moisture and milk solids, and boasts the highest concentration of shelf-stable, pure butter available for retail. l Where should I merchandise clarified butter? Because it is shelf-stable, clarified butter can be merchandised in several areas of the store. For example, in the seafood department clarified butter can be melted directly from the packaging for either dipping seafood or for sautéing. Display it with the baking supplies since it is often called for in baking recipes as it extends the shelf-life of baked goods. You can also cross-merchandise clarified butter in the produce department alongside such seasonal items as fresh asparagus and corn. CLICK 270 78 The Gourmet Retailer Magazine | February 2008
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